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What Causes Flu Like Symptoms While On Lamictal?
Question: Flu symptoms related to meds?
I developed extreme eye stinging, phlegm and coughing Sunday night, and I was kept awake all night with body pain. The body pains and feverish symptoms, mild cough continued through Monday. Today I have a mild cough and some muscle pain but feel a lot better. Because of the short lived nature of this "flu" I'm wondering if it could be a side effect of my medications:
Triumeq
lamictal
parnate (MAO Inhibitor)
Because the Parnate causes insomnia, I also take doxylamine and gabapentin (300mg) for sleep everynight. Because the onset of symptoms felt like extreme allergies (which I don't have) I wondered if I was having some kind of antihystamine bounceback from taking the doxylamine for so long; Also that night I didn't take any gabapentin, so I was worried that the body pain came from some withdrawl.
I developed extreme eye stinging, phlegm and coughing Sunday night, and I was kept awake all night with body pain. The body pains and feverish symptoms, mild cough continued through Monday. Today I have a mild cough and some muscle pain but feel a lot better. Because of the short lived nature of this "flu" I'm wondering if it could be a side effect of my medications:
Triumeq
lamictal
parnate (MAO Inhibitor)
Because the Parnate causes insomnia, I also take doxylamine and gabapentin (300mg) for sleep everynight. Because the onset of symptoms felt like extreme allergies (which I don't have) I wondered if I was having some kind of antihystamine bounceback from taking the doxylamine for so long; Also that night I didn't take any gabapentin, so I was worried that the body pain came from some withdrawl.
Brief Answer:
Discussion follows
Detailed Answer:
Hello,
Welcome and thanks for your query.
Lamictal can cause a flu syndrome with cough and running nose, head ache and a feverish feeling.
Symptoms of viral infections can be variable and the short duration of flu symptoms does not exclude a mild viral infection.
Doxylamine may produce mild anticholinergic symptoms like dryness of mucus membrane etc and usually does not produce flu like symptoms. Body pain can be from the viral infection or from the missed dose of gabapentin.
Do get back to me if you have further queries.
Discussion follows
Detailed Answer:
Hello,
Welcome and thanks for your query.
Lamictal can cause a flu syndrome with cough and running nose, head ache and a feverish feeling.
Symptoms of viral infections can be variable and the short duration of flu symptoms does not exclude a mild viral infection.
Doxylamine may produce mild anticholinergic symptoms like dryness of mucus membrane etc and usually does not produce flu like symptoms. Body pain can be from the viral infection or from the missed dose of gabapentin.
Do get back to me if you have further queries.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
thank you...two follow up questions please:
-I have only been taking gabapentin 2 weeks. Discontinuation can cause muscle pain after such a short treatment?
-Is it safe for me to use antihistamines for sleep indefinitely? The parnate insomnia is constant and melatonin reacts poorly with it. Holistic efforts at sleep hygiene do not help.
-I have only been taking gabapentin 2 weeks. Discontinuation can cause muscle pain after such a short treatment?
-Is it safe for me to use antihistamines for sleep indefinitely? The parnate insomnia is constant and melatonin reacts poorly with it. Holistic efforts at sleep hygiene do not help.
Brief Answer:
Discussion continues
Detailed Answer:
The muscular pain likely to be part of the flu syndrome. The neuritic pains are suppressed by gabapentin. So when the medicine is not available, the pain is felt. It is not a pain as a withdrawal effect and addiction is not common with gabapentin.
The antihistamine medications may help for variable periods to promote sleep and may be useful as long as they are effective.
Best wishes
Discussion continues
Detailed Answer:
The muscular pain likely to be part of the flu syndrome. The neuritic pains are suppressed by gabapentin. So when the medicine is not available, the pain is felt. It is not a pain as a withdrawal effect and addiction is not common with gabapentin.
The antihistamine medications may help for variable periods to promote sleep and may be useful as long as they are effective.
Best wishes
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Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Arnab Banerjee
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